Matt Ridley is an author, journalist, biologist, and businessman. His books have sold over a million copies.

Show notes
Selected links

 •Follow Matt Ridley: Website | Twitter
 •How Innovation Works, by Matt Ridley
 •The Origins of Virtue, by Matt Ridley
 •Zero to One, by Peter Thiel
 •Born Standing Up, by Steve Martin
 •The Innovator's Dilemma, by Clayton Christensen
 •'The Use of Knowledge in Society', essay by Friedrich Hayek
 •Bad Blood, by John Carreyrou
 •The Great Stagnation, by Tyler Cowen
 •The Rise and Fall of American Growth, by Robert Gordon

Topics discussed 

 •When did Matt first come to understand the disturbing notion of selfish gene theory? 8:55
 •How did Matt, a biologist, become so interested in innovation? 16:20
 •The infinite improbability drive. 20:30
 •What's the difference between innovation and invention? 24:05
 •What do most people (wrongly) believe about how innovation works? 25:48
 •Why innovation relies on collaboration. 33:53
 •Innovation is the child of freedom. But what amount or types of freedom are sufficient to underpin innovation? 40:35
 •Why does innovation thrive in fragmented political systems? 46:39
 •Does unfettered economic freedom tend irresistibly towards monopolies? 50:37
 •Antitrust enforcement: have we been doing enough? 1:02:44
 •The relationship between uncertainty and innovation. 1:05:58
 •Frauds and visionaries. 1:14:20
 •Uncertainty and economics. 1:15:26
 •Are we in the midst of a Great Stagnation? 1:26:40
 •Can we escape stagnation? 1:40:30

Matt Ridley is an author, journalist, biologist, and businessman. His books have sold over a million copies. Show notes Selected links •Follow Matt Ridley: Website | Twitter •How Innovation Works, by Matt Ridley •The Origins of Virtue, by Matt Ridley •Zero to One, by Peter Thiel •Born Standing Up, by Steve Martin •The Innovator's Dilemma, by Clayton Christensen •'The Use of Knowledge in Society', essay by Friedrich Hayek •Bad Blood, by John Carreyrou •The Great Stagnation, by Tyler Cowen •The Rise and Fall of American Growth, by Robert Gordon Topics discussed •When did Matt first come to understand the disturbing notion of selfish gene theory? 8:55 •How did Matt, a biologist, become so interested in innovation? 16:20 •The infinite improbability drive. 20:30 •What's the difference between innovation and invention? 24:05 •What do most people (wrongly) believe about how innovation works? 25:48 •Why innovation relies on collaboration. 33:53 •Innovation is the child of freedom. But what amount or types of freedom are sufficient to underpin innovation? 40:35 •Why does innovation thrive in fragmented political systems? 46:39 •Does unfettered economic freedom tend irresistibly towards monopolies? 50:37 •Antitrust enforcement: have we been doing enough? 1:02:44 •The relationship between uncertainty and innovation. 1:05:58 •Frauds and visionaries. 1:14:20 •Uncertainty and economics. 1:15:26 •Are we in the midst of a Great Stagnation? 1:26:40 •Can we escape stagnation? 1:40:30

Joe Walker hosts refreshingly in-depth conversations with founders, scientists, scholars, economists, and public intellectuals.

(Formerly 'The Jolly Swagman Podcast'.)

Joe Walker hosts refreshingly in-depth conversations with founders, scientists, scholars, economists, and public intellectuals.
(Formerly 'The Jolly Swagman Podcast'.)

Joe Walker hosts refreshingly in-depth conversations with founders, scientists, scholars, economists, and public intellectuals.

The Joe Walker Podcast

The JSP is a weekly exploration of questions that are both important and overlooked. Joe Walker, a former political speechwriter helping to build a Y Combinator-backed startup, hosts refreshingly in-depth conversations. Topics cover capitalism, science, business, culture and politics. Guests include Nobel laureates, former prime ministers, authors, entrepreneurs, investors and thought-leaders. Australia's best long-form podcast. A space for curious contrarians.

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